Battle of Nalon
Overview The Battle of Nalon was the first hostile encounter between the Eternal Empire and the Char'in Dominion in history. It was also one of the most, if not the most decisive battle in the Char'in Civil War. After Arven of Hunter City discovered the isolated system in the in the year 451 AFE, the Empire allied itself with the Nalonia Republic, causing the momentum of the Char'in Civil War to shift when the Nalonia Republic was on the brink of extinction. Prelude: "Rebellion" When the Empire discovered the isolated Char Nalonia system, they had also discovered the Char'in: a race of lizard-like sentients that had also developed space travel as the Jaggans and Cardai of the had. Every Char'in has sharp teeth, with a long crocodile-like snout. They also had a black crest on top of their head or a large horn. Every single Char'in had their own distinct skin pattern, except for twins, triplets, etc.; however, there are two main groups of Char'in: the red and the blue. This correlates to the religion of the Char'in: those who were red were said to be descendants of Jag'ara, a godly warrior from the heavens. Those who were blue were said to be descendants of Jeg'ere, another godly warrior from the heavens. The two constantly fought for control of the planet of Char, since they could not rule over their father's dominion in the heavens. Originally, Char was created by their father, Ter'mas, for his sons to rule over together. However, their lust for power turned the beautiful world into a war-torn battleground. As punishment, the sons were to be imprisoned in the core of Char, where they would be tortured by the constant flaming inferno in Char's core. Before they were eternally damned to the planets core, both sons produced seven children each, producing the red and blue Char'in of the present. Records say that conflicts between the red and blue Char'in date back all the way back to -300 AFE, ranging from riots in various villages across the planet to entire ancient cities being reduced to rubble. The Char'in Dominion, the government body ruling over Char, had its fair share of bloodsheds, with assassination attempts, successful as well as not, on government officials happening on a daily basis. At around 300 AFE, the Char'in Dominion handed its control from the Char'in Senate to the Char'in military, which was almost entirely made up of red Char'in. This set the stage for the Char'in Civil War. Outraged by this motion made by the Char'in Senate, every single blue Char'in migrated from Char to its moon, Nalonia, and made their own government body known as the Nalonia Republic. In c. 350 AFE, the Nalonia Republic had cities all across the moon, and its military strength was growing. Fearing an all-out assault on Char by the Nalonia Republic, the Char'in Dominion declared war on the Nalonia Republic, sparking the Char'in Civil War. For over 100 years, the Char'in Civil War raged on Nalonia, destroying countless amounts of cities. By 451 AFE, the Char'in Dominion was about to conquer the last major city of the Nalonia Republic: Nalon, the capital city. Arven of Hunter City then found the Char Nalonia system through exploration in 451 AFE, discovering the existence of the Char'in Dominion and Nalonia Republic. Delegates were sent to both nations by the Eternal Empire in an attempt to make an alliance. The Char'in Dominion, proud and confident in their military strength, chose not to accept their invitation. On the other hand, the Nalonia Republic would take any help available. So, the Eternal Empire allied itself with the Nalonia Republic, and as a result, the Char'in Dominion declared war on the Eternal Empire. Eternal Emperor Tigarus I saw the Char'in Dominion as a huge threat, so, he mobilized the army to attack the Char'in Dominion instead of Operation: Ruin, thinking that the Imperial Corsairs wouldn't do anything beyond imagination. That's exactly what they did. In 451 AFE, a team of Imperial Corsairs and Rebel Raiders, codenamed Team Alpha-9, attacked the Grand Citadel of the Eternal Emperor in the city of Everstone. Their mission was to assassinate Tigarus and his corrupt heart. With Team Alpha-9 consisting of 20 Corsairs and Raiders, they managed to get through 5,000 Elite Bodyguards and kill Tigarus I. His successor, Revus the Great, would have to mobilize the Imperial military for all-out war against the Char'in Dominion. A former Imperial Corsair and leader of Team Alpha-9, Revus would risk his life alongside his own men during the offensive against the Char'in Dominion. As the Nalonia Republic saw it, the Eternal Empire were the "Holy Saviors of the Char'in Species". However, the Char'in Dominion saw the Empire as the "Hellish Destroyer of the Char'in Species". This insult to the Empire helped bring in the invasion of Char and Nalonia Battle of Nalon: "A Week in Hell" Operation: Corsair Operation: Corsair was the name of the offensive plan devised by Revus and his War Council to combat the threat of the Char'in Dominion. It was to be a two-pronged attack on the Char Nalonia system, consisting of 4 trillion men, 4/5 of the entire Imperial military. 3 trillion men and 5,000 navy vessels would attack Char, while the other 1 trillion men and 2,000 navy vessels would try and save the Nalonia Republic at their capital city of Nalon. Revus and Alpha-9 would personally fight in the Battle of Nalon, alongside over 1,000 Corsairs, 1,000 Raiders, and 8,000 Imperial soldiers, as well as the 2,000 Republic soldiers defending Nalon. This force would fight against over 100,000 Char'in soldiers, consisting of two armored divisions and one infantry division. It would be one of the toughest fights in Imperial history, as well as the climax of the Char'in Civil War Saving the Capital Day 1 The 12,000 Imperial and Republic troops defended their capital from over 100,000 Char'in soldiers, armed with tanks and heavy artillery. The walls of Nalon were armed with over 20 heavy turrets and 50 rapid-fire turrets. They were also heavily reinforced by AAA-Grade Imperial Defensive Plating produced in Galquaz. The Char'in Dominion's General of the Army, Had'rian the Strong, had never faced an enemy like the Eternal Empire. However, he decided that because of the low numbers on his enemy's side, he thought that Nalon would fall in a full day's siege at most. This was his first vital mistake in his entire career. Although Had'rian was the greatest general in the Char'in Dominion at the time, he did not face the Empire before. He sent over a third of his forces straight into the fray. Laser fire was exchanged from both sides, as the Char'in army charged towards the walls of Nalon. Had'rian's plan was the usual: a shock-and-awe charge to try and overwhelm the forces with numbers, strength, and fear. Although the 2,000 Republic troops ducked for cover, the 10,000 Imperial troops stood their ground, armed the turrets, and use their most basic yet most effective defensive maneuver: the "Rebound", as most Imperial soldiers called it. Also known as the "Meat Grinder" by the Empire's enlisted soldiers, the Rebound is basically using artillery, rapid-fire turrets, and air superiority to kill as many attacking enemies as possible. This is how most, if not all of the Imperial defensive operations are won. Another thing Had'rian didn't account for was the Eternal Empire's fearsome air force. With only 500 pilots pronounced K.I.A., the EEAF, as it is called, is a mixture of speed, skill, and firepower. With the fastest starfighters and the heaviest-armed bombers in the , the EEAF has the ability to be the most versatile they can be. Standard EEAF missions go along with one-third of the starfighters sent in to fire their rapid-fire guns at enemy ground troops, two-thirds of the starfighters guarding their bombers or engaging other fighters, and all of the bombers just doing their job: bombing. With some of the enemy casualties on the battlefield being taken by the EEAF, this puts a lot of pressure off of the Imperial ground troops. These huge disadvantages caught the Char'in Dominion off guard. On the first day alone, over half of the Char'in Dominion's forces at Nalon had perished, most of them tanks. This lack of armor forced Had'rian to call in more troops into the battle. Days 2-6 For five more long, grueling days, the Dominion soldiers kept charging at the walls of Nalon, only to be crushed by the "Meat Grinder". At this point, over 270,000 Dominion soldiers had died during the six days of this entire battle, while only 5,000 Imperial and Republic troops had died. Team Alpha-9's leader, Revus, had taken a shot to his right shoulder on the sixth day. He was unfit for commanding his troops until a week's time. His replacement would be Team Alpha-9's second-in-command, Mileo of New Hunter City. Although untested in commanding a large amount of troops, Revus had faith in Mileo, saying, "I wouldn't have entrusted him with my command if he wasn't ready." Dominion spies reported this information back to Had'rian, who was becoming impatient with his army. The Char'in general thought that now was the time to strike. Amassing an army of over 50,000 men, over seven times the forces defending Nalon, Had'rian decided that this would be enough men to take down 7,000. However, just to be safe, he also brought with him over 25,000 starfighters with him to take out the EEAF threat. This number of starfighters was almost two-thirds of the entire Dominion's air force. Had'rian wanted to bring Nalon to the ground, and he decided he would not stop until he was brought to the ground. Day 7 A week had passed, and the Imperial troops stationed here were getting tired. Their rations and ammunition were dwindling down extremely low. Mileo knew he had to be relieved, and fast. Then, he saw Had'rian's forces coming over the horizon: over 50,000 ground troops and over 25,000 starfighters, all going straight at Nalon's walls. Mileo decided that if he was going to die, he was going down fighting. However, knowing his enemy wasn't the smartest out there, he decided to do something nobody would expect: a shock-and-awe charge into the heart of the enemy. On survivor from the Char'in Dominion Army, a historian named Ala'mein, described the scene: "As we were marching towards the walls of Nalon, singing our battle anthem, we heard a sound that terrified our very hearts and minds. We heard the screeching of enemy starfighters, bombing and gunning down our men by the hundreds. We heard the horrifying battle cry of the enemy, charging at us and cutting us down with their laser bayonets. We heard the terrifying yells of our comrades dying next to us, one by one, being cut to pieces or exploding into thin air. Our tanks couldn't even withstand this onslaught, as the Imperial soldiers stuck explosives on them, blowing them in a stunning work of explosions. I ran away as fast as I could, as did hundreds more of me." The air battle was no different. Waiting for the 25,000 Dominion starfighters were 40,000 EEAF fighters and 3 navy cruisers, all equipped with the latest Imperial anti-aircraft technology. Many Dominion starfighters were destroyed in the anarchy. When Had'rian ordered a retreat, only a few hundred soldiers and starfighters went with him. It was finally over. The Empire had won, and there was still hope for the Nalonia Republic yet. Analysis Though most of the battle was the same, with the Empire using their tactic "the Meat Grinder" to destroy all of their enemies, the 7th and last day of the Battle of Nalon was what really peaked the interest of Imperial historians and generals alike. They asked the same question: "Why did Mileo choose to charge straight at the enemy instead of hiding behind the walls of Nalon?" This question has multiple answers. The first reason why Mileo chose to make such an unorthodox decision was because of the intel Revus had received during Day 4 of the battle. An Imperial Corsair Unit named Delta-4 infiltrated a Char'in Dominion stronghold and recovered information on the training methods of the Dominion's troops. When he saw what the Dominion was teaching their soldiers, Revus and Mileo both discovered that the Dominion, despite their numbers, had a weakness and could be exploited. Unlike the intense training of mobility and assault tactics the Corsairs had, the Dominion's troops were taught to stay in groups and fight alongside one another. They weren't taught how to aim, just how to shoot. Their aim was to get as many shots down the battlefield as possible, knowing that most shots would hit something; however, they weren't taught any close-combat fighting. This was because the Dominion completely relied on overwhelming the enemy with the fire superiority method instead of the instant-kill method the Imperial forces used. The second reason is that Mileo's ammunition was dwindling. He had been fighting for a week, and because of the large amount of troops and starfighters attacking, a re-supply mission was out of the question. Knowing that his men were trained to fight with their laser bayonets and combat knives in close-quarters combat, he knew that his men could compensate for the loss of their ammunition. In addition, although the Corsairs and Republic troops didn't have sturdy armor, the main grunts of the Empire wore light but reliable Mark I Imperial Armor. According to the results of a test conducted by Imperial scientists, the Mark I Armor could withstand almost an entire magazine from the GQ-2 submachine gun Imperial soldiers carried into battle. Considering that the GQ-2 was more powerful than the Dominion's standard rifle, only a shot to the neck, visor, or limbs could hinder an Imperial soldier unable to fight. The third reason, and probably the one that convinced Mileo to go all-out on the Dominion, was Operation: Backstab being cancelled. Revus had decided that Draker was needed elsewhere instead of the Argo Plains. This in mind, Revus sent Draker to reinforce Mileo on the 7th Day. Draker's men had all the supplies that Mileo needed, but why charge straight at the enemy? The answer to Mileo was simple: offense was the best defense. Draker had portable machine gun-turrets, bombers, snipers, and tanks. These were all mostly offensive units and couldn't be deployed fast enough to be turned into a defensive barricade. Plus, Draker's men, the 14th Shock Battalion, were trained for offensive fighting, not defensive fighting. Their equipment and training would only weaken them if they were to hunker down and fight a defensive battle. Aftermath Nalon was saved from the destruction of the Dominion, and the tide of the war had turned. The momentum shifted in favor of the Nalonia Republic, and the Dominion was now on the defensive, something they weren't used to. Reinforcements were arriving and Revus was back in command. The repairing of the war-torn city of Nalon commenced; however, it costed well over 10 million IC to repair all of the damage. Nevertheless, Revus was eager enough to help his allies in need, as he would for many years to come. The Dominion, however, wasn't so lucky. The momentum of the war had shifted against them, and they were now facing an enemy that knew almost all of their weaknesses. Had'rian was executed for his lack of success by General Rev'kan. Victory was right in the Dominion's grasp; however, the mere presence of the Eternal Empire somehow shifted the favor of the war to the Republic. Heating up to his boiling point, Rev'kan had no choice but to unveil his secret project to try and turn the tide of the war before it was too late. That secret project was named "Predator". Category:Trillian Sector Category:Imperial Marine Corps